Knowledge Base

Introduction to VPS hosting

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a virtual machine that resides on a server with other virtual machines. With a VPS, you have your own operating system installation. As a result, you have much greater control over system configuration. You can install programs and applications that are unsupported or not allowed on shared hosting accounts.

A hypervisor, also called a virtual machine manager, is the program that allows multiple operating systems to share a single hardware host. Our VPS plans use OpenVZ virtualization technology.

For people with simple websites and basic hosting needs, a shared hosting account is all they'll ever need. But if you are a developer, you may find that a VPS plan better suits your needs. Especially when the entry cost has never been lower -- you can get a basic VPS for $5 USD per month.

A2 Hosting offers two types of VPS account plans: unmanaged and managed. We have designed these plans to provide you with greater flexibility and control.

Managed VPS

Managed VPS plans offer a managed environment similar to our shared hosting accounts, but with increased resource availability. If you are outgrowing a shared hosting environment, but are not ready yet to make the leap to a dedicated server, you should consider a managed VPS. This plan is also a good option if you need certain customizations that are not provided with shared hosting plans, but you would still like A2 Hosting to handle configuration changes, software upgrades, and other system administration tasks.

By default, all managed VPS plans include cPanel. You can also add WebHost Manager for an additional monthly fee.

Unmanaged VPS

Unlike managed VPS plans, unmanaged VPS plans are not actively managed by A2 Hosting. Unmanaged VPS plans are for more advanced users who are comfortable using the command-line interface and doing system administration tasks. These plans include root account access so you can customize the server as much as necessary. As a result, you are responsible for the following items:

Application installation and configuration.

Upgrades.

Security patches.

Reboots.

Backups.

Custom partitioning.

Fixing broken user accounts and resetting passwords.

Although these plans are called “unmanaged,” A2 Hosting does provide the following services:

Complete reset of the VPS back to its original settings (this erases all data).

Provisioning additional IP addresses.

Reverse DNS management and delegation.

Unmanaged VPS plans do not include cPanel. Instead, SolusVM and SSH are the primary administration interfaces. You can also use Webuzo to install many common applications (such as WordPress) quickly and easily.

More Information

For more information about managed VPS at A2 Hosting, please visit this page.

For more information about unmanaged VPS at A2 Hosting, please visit this page.

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